According to sources at the Special Committee, convener of the secretariat Balananda Sharma informed a meeting of the Special Committee about the complaints, Thursday evening. [break]
"The combatants have informed the secretariat that the commanders seized the paychecks of some retiring combatants, others have been forced to leave their checks with the commanders and some others have had their ID cards withheld. These measures are aimed at forcing the commanders to give a certain percent of their retirement package," a source quoted Sharma as saying in his briefing to the Special Committee, Thursday.
Some retiring combatants have informed the secretariat that they exited the cantonments leaving behind their paychecks with their commanders after the latter demanded a certain percent of the money.
The secretariat received the complaints after it publicly asked the retiring combatants to inform it in case their checks are confiscated or they are deprived of their ID cards. IDs are required to claim their retirement package and to withdraw money from the banks where they deposit the paychecks.
Sharma returned from Shaktikhor cantonment Thursday to brief the Special Committee on the ongoing voluntary retirement process and the seizure of paychecks and withholding of ID cards from retiring combatants.
The meeting discussed ways to ensure that no single combatant is deprived of his or her money and decided to ask the banks concerned -- Nepal Banijya Bank, Nepal Bank Limited and Nepal Agricultural Development Bank -- to make payments against the checks only to the combatants concerned.
"We will ask the banks to arrange a mechanism for payment of the checks only after a week and that too to the persons concerned only," said Finance Minister and Maoist representative on the Special Committee Barsha Man Pun, after the Special Committee meeting.
But according to the source, Sharma told the meeting that asking the banks to tighten their mechanisms was not a proper solution, and asked Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Pun to direct the commanders not to ask the retiring combatants for any money.
Meanwhile, the secretariat has completed the voluntary retirement process in three cantonments -- Shaktikhor, Chulachuli and Dudhauli-- as of Thursday. Sharma said that altogether 6,360 combatants participated in the retirement process by Thursday. He said the retirement process is to be completed in the remaining cantonments on Friday.
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